It seems like nothing interesting happens unless I post here. We have had pretty much the same topics for like the last 4 days. So I shall start this one.

Hugo
Society cannot allow the private sector to do whatever it wants

Wow, what an all-star. Isn't society made up of the private sector? For real, the private sector cannot allow the private sector to do what it wants, is what he is saying in terms of words. What he is really saying is, I cannot allow the private sector to go against what I want.

Nice.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RNB2BG1&show_article=1

Now lets see whats next...

If he plans to stay in power for all eternity... thats the "uh-oh!" (tho I wont be surprised... it happens to ALL commie states in history)

Hugo Chavez at first seemed like such a good guy.

Chavez is definitely a controversial figure, and there are pretty stark contrasts in opinion about him. I liked him at first, going up against the established government that was happy to keep the rich rich and the poor poor, even with huge and valuable exports of oil. Chavez did really seem like a man of the people, going up against an established high strata, a lot of opposition from the well off and some truely biting and polarised propaganda from the existing news stations. There have been many attempts to shaft him, but he has stayed on through popular vote, though admittedly there have been allegations of election fixing. I've heard a lot about how he's got a lot of support from the poor majority and that a lot of help has gone their way to help support and develop themselves.
Statements like this indicate to me that he has got a bit too strict, like with his military training, of doing things a specific way. Maybe a bit too arrogant (he'd need to have been to go up against the Status Quo in the first place), maybe a sticking a bit too much to his beliefs (ditto) but in the end, you just can't be sure what the situation is. There are a lot of stories, events that have happened, details and intricate insights in the story of how Chavez came to power and maintained it. Writing him off either as a good or a bad guy does a great disservice to him and blocks your mind from learning potentially intriguing and fascinating insights into areas like government, politics, society, media and human nature.

Ok, let's not be morons here and take things out of context. Jebus... I read the article, it's pretty basic really. What has happened is this: They've made some changes to the national curriculum and he wants to make sure that the private schools are going along with the same standards. It's pretty ordinary and bloody conventional actually! This has only been taken out of context because of right wing irrational fear about Hugo Chavez lol! (there, that should be a stirring reply!).

But yeah, that's it. You can be sure that anything the man does or says will be taken out of context and looked at as some kind of leftwing, anti US, communist, evil, deranged plot just because it's him. In this situation it's just a case of making sure that all learning institutions have some sort of standardisation in their curriculum, hardly revolutionary.

ozoneocean
Ok, let's not be morons here and take things out of context. Jebus... I read the article, it's pretty basic really. What has happened is this: They've made some changes to the national curriculum and he wants to make sure that the private schools are going along with the same standards. It's pretty ordinary and bloody conventional actually! This has only been taken out of context because of right wing irrational fear about Hugo Chavez lol! (there, that should be a stirring reply!).

But yeah, that's it. You can be sure that anything the man does or says will be taken out of context and looked at as some kind of leftwing, anti US, communist, evil, deranged plot just because it's him. In this situation it's just a case of making sure that all learning institutions have some sort of standardisation in their curriculum, hardly revolutionary.

I agree, this school thing is a red herring. Chavez is suffering an obvious attempt at demonization by the rightwing and oil corporations who are still pissed he nationalized oil. This guy is loved by his people and is spreading around oil money to impoverished places in south america that frankly no one gives a poop about unless they seek aid from somebody we don't like.

T cast him as a modern day Castro just shows to what extent the neocons fear folks they can't order around like goons, and the fact that he is rising to the bait is proof of our failure to gain a powerful ally close to our shores. Mark my words people, this guy is going to end up trouble only because he will tire or our rhetoric and dirty internaional politics knocking on his door.

Chavez's problem is that he thinks that he's the only leader that can affect the changes he wants. Like Castro*, he's creating a government of personality, not of philosophy.

It seems that if he were to continue to work in the government but was willing to give up the leadership position, the ideology he has fostered would grow. By putting himself in a position to be re-elected for life he creates at least the potential for being cast as a dictator even if his motives are as altruistic as he claims (something I do not believe, though he has done more good than harm to his country so far).

______

* I know woefully less about the Cuban government than I admit I should. The Castro reference is not to compare ideologies, but the trap of the "government of personality". Whoever succeeds Castro will either be "Castro-lite" or "anti-Castro" in the minds of the world and even his country. Instead of establishing his philosophy of government, he has instead created the Castro empire (such as it is). His philosphy is secondary to his persona, and therefore not as readily embraced by his people. Had he allowed his political philosophy to rule the country instead of his personality, Cuba might be completely different today because of incremental structural changes that would have been permitted to happen. Chavez may be falling into the same trap.